New Financing Opportunity for the Pacific and Timor-Leste

In 2017, the Global Fund, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) entered into a partnership to expand financing for public health programs in Asia and the Pacific. This resulted in the signing of an MOU between the ADB and the Global Fund at the APLMA malaria week the same year.[1]

In June 2019, the Global Fund set aside US$25 million of additional funds for malaria elimination in four countries: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste. The funds are in addition to the regular Global Fund allocations to these countries. The Global Fund named the initiative: Malaria Elimination in Melanesia and Timor-Leste Initiative (MEMTI).

MEMTI funding is in addition to Global Fund country allocations. MEMTI intends to incentivize additional resource allocation to malaria from countries and development partners. Countries will only be able to access MEMTI funds by presenting proposals that address comprehensive strategies, including associated health system strengthening efforts and potential interventions beyond the health sector, to eliminate malaria. In addition, countries must identify different sources of funding to finance these elimination strategies for the next 3 years. The Global Fund expects MEMTI funding to be utilized together with the 2020-2022 country allocations.

In partnership with the WHO, the Global Fund, the World Bank and ADB, APLMA will continue supporting the countries eligible for MEMTI funding.

[1] https://www.adb.org/news/adb-global-fund-sign-mou-help-countries-asia-strengthen-health-systems